A new must see golf destination

April 19, 2010August 22, 2023 Gordon Dalgleish

Puntacana Corales course 2 — Corales Course at Punta Cana

Golfers will forever enjoy the sensation of discovering that “new golf destination”. A recent trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic provided that experience for me. Situated on the eastern tip of the D.R., Punta Cana Resort & Club is entirely master planned. In recent years it has become popular as a destination of choice for many of the “all inclusive” resorts. These resorts, for the most part are situated to the north of the Punta Cana airport and offer various levels of service and price points.

For golfers however, the Punta Cana Resort & Club is the jewel to be discovered. When you scratch below the surface there are a multitude of fascinating storylines that emerge; the purchase of 30 square miles of jungle in 1969 with no road access, the commitment of the owners to improve their country through tourism, the sustainable tourism plans they have adopted, the rerouting of an international airport runway to enhance a golf experience, an airport arrival and departure process which is far from the ordinary, and a hotel experience at the very highest level.

The airport is owned by the same company who own the new Tom Fazio course, Corales and the Tortuga Bay hotel. They seamlessly blend together their businesses to ultimately deliver a memorable and unique product. The Punta Cana airport is the third busiest in the Caribbean and enjoys scheduled service from most major East Coast U.S. cities plus London, Frankfurt, Moscow, etc. As a guest of Tortuga Bay, as you deplane you are met by a hotel representative and whisked thru the arrival formalities via VIP lanes. Luggage is delivered and you are quickly sitting in a hotel vehicle for the 5 minute ride to the hotel. Tortuga Bay has only 30 suites in 13 villas alongside the beach. It is charming and comfortable with a superb staff.

The original golf course is La Cana, built by P.B. Dye in 2000. It has three holes played directly alongside the beach and is a very enjoyable course. Officially opened this month, the Corales course by Tom Fazio is a solid Fazio design. It can be safely discussed in the same conversation with Eagle Point, Calusa Pines or Caves Valley. Tom has delivered a fine course to the owners. From a conditioning standpoint, it is equal to his U.S. projects and given the commitment of the ownership, I believe that shall remain true over time. P.B. Dye is in the process of building the Hacienda course across the street from La Cana and it is scheduled to open either late 2010 or more likely 2011. I drove 9 holes with P.B. this past weekend and it certainly appears that it will be a fine test of golf. The current plan calls for the original La Cana course to be refurbished once Hacienda is open. Therefore, some time in 2012 they should have 3 very strong courses within 5 mins of a world class hotel and 5 minutes from a superior airport. A golfers dream!

Away from golf, they have a Six Senses Spa (the first in North America) with staff from Thailand. My wife, as a bit of a spa junkie and connoisseur was thoroughly impressed with the experience.

The departure experience at the airport was equally special, with VIP lines, lounges and for icing on the cake, a golf cart to the steps of your scheduled aircraft. It did not go unnoticed that they are re-routing the airport runway by what looked like 30 degrees to avoid overflight of the new Fazio Course and adjacent homesites…that is impressive!

If you are seeking a warm weather destination that is luxurious yet unpretentious, with excellent golf, spa and dining opportunities, I think you will not be disappointed in Tortuga Bay. I know I shall be returning and hope to see you there!

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

Wentworth – Changes to the Final Green

April 18, 2010March 25, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

Like all courses that host major events, the 18^th green at Wentworth has been often televised and is familiar to golfing fans all over the world. Not any more! Not only are the strategically placed bunkers still there, but a water feature has added to the drama of the final hole. Owner, Richard Caring, impressed by such an element on most other major courses, decided that this was lacking at Wentworth. Although his course manager, Chris Kennedy, and the course architect, Ernie Els, were dubious that it was a good idea for this particular course, they gave it a go. The result is a man-made ‘burn’ running through a group of pot bunkers in front of the green and resulting in a far more testing finish. This is just the most striking of a number of changes to the course, especially the last five holes, and any golfer who thinks he knows his way around will have to think again!

By Yvonne Shaw. Yvonne has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is a member of our admin team.

Machrihanish & the Kintyre Peninsula ~ moving up the “must visit” rankings?

April 13, 2010April 12, 2010 Colin Dalgleish

Another tale of great winter golf in Scotland! I must be doing something right. In the second week of February on a glorious day with a blue sky and a shimmering ocean, I recently played 36 holes of golf at the recently opened and strongly acclaimed Machrihanish Dunes, and also the much loved Dunaverty. My fourball included Richard Simmons, Editor of UK publication Golf International, plus my good friends Ronan Rafferty, former Ryder Cup player, and Alan White, Chairman of the Scottish PGA.

Having last visited Machrihanish Dunes early in its construction, I went for my first game with a sense of anticipation. Well I can tell you I was certainly not disappointed. It occupies a marvelous piece of land with spectacular views right on the edge of Machrihanish Bay; its layout twisting and turning through the gentle dunes to provide a thorough test and outstanding experience. There are a number of blind shots (which is all part of the game), and it is certainly a tough golf course to play on the first circuit, but if played from the appropriate set of tees it is an extremely playable golf course by all standards. It might not have the “smoothness” of many new courses. So what. They will continue to refine and fine tune in all areas, and it will only get better. Pure and simple, it gets my vote, and I encourage all true lovers of the game to make a visit. You want unspoiled links golf the way it used to be?…then this is the real deal.

Another bonus for me was a game at Dunaverty, located just 20 minutes south of Machrihanish. It enjoys a wonderful location right on the south eastern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula, with different but equally fabulous views as experienced from Machrihanish Dunes. At less than 5,000 yards and a par of 66, it is the perfect second round! It’s par three 7^th hole claims the only bunker on the golf course, and accordingly is mischievously called “St Andrews” -:)

The extremely comfortable Ugadale Cottages now available in the village of Machrihanish provide the perfect accommodations for golfing groups with excellent casual dining available in the Old Clubhouse. You can now follow this exciting addition to the Scottish golf scene on their facebook page.

If you want to experience great links golf, get over there!

World Cup of Golf Finds a New Home in China

April 10, 2010March 17, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

The World Cup of Golf has been moved from the Mission Hills Resort in Shenzhen, to a new home in Southern China. From 2011, it’s going to be held at the fantastic new Mission Hills resort in Hainan Island, which boasts a remarkable 22 courses. The event, will take place biennially – on the Blackstone Course -meaning it won’t clash with golf at the Olympics, which makes its long awaited return in 2016 when the Games are held in Rio De Janeiro.

The switching of the venue to Hainan Island is set to enhance Mission Hills’s plan for global domination, as it wouldn’t surprise me to see one of the World Golf Championships – the WGC-HSBC Champions – moved from Shanghai to Shenzhen in the next few years. Watch this space…

Click here for further information.

By Keith Baird. Keith has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is one of our agents responsible for our China programmes.

Old Head Golf Links, Ireland

April 2, 2010April 4, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

Old Head Golf Links has gone through a massive refurbishment over the past few years; transforming into a beautiful five star resort. With 15 brand new suites, all overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the golf course, or both, it’s proving to be one of the most charming golf resorts in Ireland. I was privileged to be invited to stay overnight shortly after the suites opened…and what a visit it proved to be. The rooms are as good as any you’re likely to find in Ireland; tastefully decorated, and extremely spacious with everything (and more) that you’d expect from a five star hotel. The highlight for me was the relaxing in the bath while enjoying watching golf on the bathroom’s flat screen TV…the perfect way to finish the evening after a mouth watering seafood platter in the main restaurant.

Having never played the course before, it made the trip even more special as it’s a fantastic links, and possibly the most spectacular I’ve ever played. It stands at the top of the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. 9 holes play directly along the cliff tops and all 18 have views out to sea. Add that to the beautiful lighthouse at the far end of the course, and you have an awe-inspiring view no matter which way you’re facing. Don’t be fooled though, as the Old Head Golf Links is much more than just an exceptionally scenic course – it’s a great test of golf, with some mind blowing holes. It’s also an immaculately looked after course and so tends to be in absolutely perfect condition all season. Even the weather was exceptional and my golf was up to the test for once, having carded a gross 75…so it was a great trip all round. If you’ve never been to Old Head before, be sure to add it to the list of ‘must plays’. With the fantastic new suites, it’s got to be considered a ‘must stay’ as well.

By Keith Baird. Keith has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

Insight, Offers & Inspiration